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Monday, December 04, 2006

The first and second weekends of December in Burnet, Texas attract many people from around the state. Sunday, December 3rd, Kari and I attended Main Street Bethlehem with several friends of ours. We journeyed across central Texas to witness the live nativity sponsored by First Baptist Burnet. When I first considered the trip, the stereotypical "nativity scene" popped in my head: people dressed up as Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and a few live animals. The church saw passed this simple vision and went above and beyond to achieve a town setting, characters dressed as towns people, and doing activities that we might has seen in Bethlehem during the time of Christ birth. The life-size town of Bethlehem in Burnet resides on half a city block and contains soldiers, peasants, drunkards, and peddlers. Most of the population was attempting to pay their taxes, or raise enough money to satisfy the tax collectors. Bread-makers offered a sample of bread, rope maker touted the strength of their rope and Roman guards led petty thieves to the jail tower. This amazing atmosphere led us by a blacksmith forge and through a booked inn where wealth men and women found refuge from the cold. This entire town scene culminated in a cave located on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Therein the cool and damp cave were was a young couple with a new baby boy. This baby represents Christ. This cold night was well-worth spent in Burnet. It bring into perspective the humbling beginnings of our Lord. In the words of Isaiah, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel." "God with us," is what Emmanuel means and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins can be atoned for by his blood. It was a wonderful reminder and experience to be a part of. God Bless.

Sweet Quotes:

Jesus said, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Luke 10:27)"I didn't know that cool was just a myth and that one person was just as beautiful and meaningful as another." Donald Miller"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." C.S. Lewis

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." J. R. R. Tolkien

"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." Martin Luther King Jr.

"If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world." C.S. Lewis"If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart." Pope Benedict XVI